The present invention is directed to a module for connecting electrical contacts.
In business machines having control electronics, such as printers, fax machines, copiers and the like, a connection module may be used to complete connections between various components of the business machine. For example, a printer may include a printhead that reciprocates across the width of a sheet of paper to print indicia on the paper. The business machine may have a connection module that connects a central controller to the printhead so that the controller can control printing operations of, and receive feedback from, the printhead.
The connection module may include a flexible cable that is coupled to the controller at one end and the printhead at the other end. The printhead may have a plurality of contact points, and the cable may have a plurality of contacts for contacting the plurality of contact points on the printhead to thereby connect the controller and the printhead.
The connection module may include a backing element to urge the contacts of the cable into engagement with the contact points of the printhead. However, the contact points on the printhead may not always be co-planar, and existing backing elements may not be able to acceptably accommodate such non-planar contact points. Furthermore, existing backing elements may not provide sufficient connections between the contact and contact points, or sufficiently robust connections between the contacts and contact points.
The present invention is a connection module having a backing element that provides robust connections, and that can accommodate contact points on a printer printhead or other body that are not co-planar. In one embodiment the invention is a connection module including a base including a forward set of points located in a forward plane and a rearward set of points located in a rearward plane, the forward and rearward planes defining a junction therebetween. The connection module further includes a cable including a plurality of contacts located thereon, each contact being shaped and located to engage one of the points. The connection module has a backing element including a piece of sheet-like material, a set of contact protrusions on the piece of material, and at least one stiffening element on the piece of material. Each of the contact protrusions is shaped and located to engage the cable and urge one of the contacts into engagement with one of the points. The stiffening element is generally aligned with the junction when the contact protrusions engage the cable and urge the contacts into engagement with one of the points.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.